Free-engine clutch.



C. 1. GUSTAFSON.

FREE ENGINE CLUTCH. y APPLICATION FILED DEc.9.19i1.

` Patented Dec. 5,

wirr/udma C, 1 GUSTAFSON. FREE ENGINE CLUTCH.

v APPLlcAmN FILED DEC. 9. 1911.

`3.207,541 Pafellted Dec. l. l l 3 SHEETS-SH Umm@ STATES 'PATENT OFFICE. l.

Assmnmmm's; Ton-Emmy; MANUFACTURNG' 0o] BAN?, 0F sPMNGF-IELD, MASSA# CHUSETTS, 'A comfnl'rlon'vpF-MASSAGHUSETTSQ I mim-ENGINE CLUTCH stop mil L.

lmteica'neq. 5*, 1916.

thredd' 'ring/2f mid may rbe'- lopked against* which occurs between the roller bearings and the driving sprocket, und this wire can be 4J'readily relila The rol er studs 11 project into suitable 5 :penngs formedy in the front clnmping plate 1)) ing studs 17, which ure ottuchedtothe bock pluie 8 und )reject-through ruutohle o n inne in the ront clumpin pluto t). 1o' driving studs and the ro ler bearing studs nerve to connect the front und leur plates 8 und 9 so thnt said plutes will rotate toether, but the front plate muyl be moved lliterally telutlve to the reur pluto fol'clulnping the driving sprocket to sind pinten' Betweenthe driving sprocket 1 und the veur clamping: plntc 8 1n 'n friction pud 18, pret eriihlv mode of motorini known in the. trude as ltnybentos.v Any other suitable fric- 29 tion I'ntrinl muy, however. be used in the place of tht herein described. 0n the other side of the driving sprocket is u similar frc tion :purl 19. dik 20. The disk is pmvided with suitable openingh. through which the dri vingr studs und the roller studs poss, so thut the disk 20 will rtnte with the clamping pinten 8 lsind 9. The sprocket ndjneent its outer end is formed with projecting shoulders. 80' which serve to houwe the friction nds on euch Side thereof, and nlso the c nlnping disk 2 0. These shoulders do not interfere with the interni movement of the. Sprocket or the dumping' disks for energien the nuocket. tfltijncnt the lnllipini! disk 9.0 is n friction phd enfoui udlncent tiefriction pod 21 is li tit-@nd clamping liek 22. This clamping d'ljakf QQis formed ut its outer periphery with poiecting members 23, which interlock with lprmecting members 24. carried by u collar 25 attached tothe driving sprocket, so thnt -the disk Q2 will be locked to und turned with the driving sprocket. Outside of the clumpmir disk 22 is another friction pcd 25, which dies nlao adjacent the outer clamping pluto 9. lt will readily be eeen that when the clumping plate 9 is forced toward thc clumpng plete 8, the friction disks and the friction pads will be brought into mntnct with euch other` und into contact with-the flange. or side fares of thc driving sprocket, und scid driving Sprocket will be locked to the clumping;r plutes 8 und 9, which ns above noted` ure locked to the driven sprocket 2, und. thcrcfore, the driving sprocket und the. driven sprocket will turn together. This interlocking of the drivingr Sprocket to the driven sprocket would.'however. only occur when the ports ure `clumped hnrd 'toprethot'` or 09 when the. retin-ding power nn the driven iaprocket is not sufficient to cause n slipping).r

betweenthe friction clutching parts.

It will readily be seen thiit if the pressure between the friction pods und the. clamping l5 disks is less, thsit c certain slip between the momen I huve uien provided u plurality of driv- T esse Adjacent the friction paul 19 is n4 flange 35.

clamping members may occur, und, therefore, the driven member will be causedto turn at o less speed than the driving sprocket.

By controlling the preemre exerted ngninstthe friction pude and the friction disks, the speed trunsinitted from the drivi sprocket to the driven sprocket muy )e vlried through nn infinite rungc of speed from thc full speed of the engine to the lowest bulancing speed possible for the motorcycle. Furthermore. by this yielding or friction-grip in the clutching parts. the explosions of the engine ure trnnsmtted to the driving wheel of the motorcycle without causing exceesive viluutions in the puits 'of the motorcycle.

ln orderto yieldinglv hold the puts of the clutch in contact. `I have provided n plurality of springs 26. 'lhc buck clnniping pluie 9' is formed with n phimlity of'open- 'ings in which nre inserted the bolts 27. The

front gripping pinto 9 is formed with nn cn` lureed opening. in which is sented n Sleeve QR. This sleeve 2S is closed at its inner foce, except for nn opening of sufficient size to ullou' the holt Q7 to nnss through into the sleeve. The spring 2G is housed in the sleeve 2.8-, und rests uguinst the inner end thereof. A nut 39 is threuded on thc outer end of the vbolt 2T. und rests umiinst thc other end of the.

sp1-ing 26. By adjusting the nut. the tension of thc spring: muy lie varied. This spring beuiing uguinst the sleeve which is fast to the front clnmpinnr pluto. will tend to force snid cluinping plnte toward the renr clumpin z pluto 8. B v using u plurulitj.f of springs. l um able to produce u 'sufficiently yielding grip between the clnmping members of the clutch. so ns to 'cnuse the driving sprocket to be brought into driving connection with the driven sprocket. l f

ln oltllr tlnlt vurying! speeds mny'be mcured from thc clutch. l have provided menus for releasing: the (dumping action of thc springs 26. .-\s herein shown. the frame .'-l cnn-ies n thneuded collnr 30. which 'muv be locked ou to the fiuuie b v u pin 3l. Quid cnllnv on its outer fuee is formed with u thread 32. sleeve fit is formed on its inner foce with u thi-end which coperutes with thc (hrend 2li! on the colluct). Tho

collar 510 inrigidlv held .to the frumeund' bv turningzthc sleeve. 34 on the collar. the tblcnd is'so conetruetml ns to cause t-beuleeve 94 tomovc cndwise velutive to the frume 3. At its inner end. scid sleeve is formed with The outer clamping pluto 9 freelv engages tho outer face of the sleeve 34. Bull benrings 36 nre placed between the Hanne 35 and the inner-hcc of the outer clamping plate 9. When the sleeve is moved outward on the frume 3. the outer, clamping plute 9 will be. moved uwny from the inner clamping plate S. und the springs 260cmpreneed. ThisH outward movement of the clamping plate 9 will release the pli-ts. either mrt, nn outer clamping plete, rction Ineniers between said clamping plates and the inner projecting part ofthe driving sprocket, roller bearings for supporting suiddriving sprocket, Ineens for movin one of said plates toward and from tie other, said' inner projecting part .having u roove formed therein, und :1 hardened' stee -wire adapted to he sprung into 'seid groove, said roller behrings having grooves formed therein adopted to reeeive said hardened steel wire.

8; The combination of u driving sprocket und a driven sprocket, a clamping plate connected to snid driven sprocket sind drivingsproeket lnwing :in inwardly promoting mrt," nn outer clamping plate, friction n1en1- ers between said clamping pintes and the inner projecting port o: the drivin ,g sprocket, roller henrings for supporting sind driving sprocket, springs for movin the plates toward eneh other, und n seeve lim-'ing n thrend thereon for separating the plates, said'4 inwardly projecting part having n grojive formed therein, und n hardened steel wil-adapted to be sprung into said groove, said roiler bearings having grooves formed therein adapted to receive said hardened steel wire.

D. The combination of :L driving sprocket and n driven sprocket. e snnnnrting frame.

in )lates roller hem-in smonnted on, sa1d l v i g v n sleeve mounted on .ball hearings OnSalid frnnie, the driven sprocket .being threaded to seid slee\'e, u elnmpinfr lite loose on', said sleeve und lnirino intefidliing projections4 for eonnectingthe snrne to seid dl*i\'en1 sprocket, roller studs carried by snidolnmp studs, ineens whereby said driving*` s rocket is mounted on seid roller studs, riving studs carried by .said clamping pltes, an outer einmpin plate engaging sd roller studs und sni driving studs, smidnuter cinmping'plnte being movable laterally relntire to the inner clamping plate,friction disks between said clamping plates'for engaging the driving' sprocket, springs for moving the outer chunping plate .townrd snid inner clamping 'plntern sleeve'ahn'ving n thread formed thereon yfor engaging n thread one collar carried by ihefranie, means for turning the sleeve, bnllbearings between the sleeve und the outer 'la'njping 11i-nte, ivherehy when said Sleeve sfturned in one direction7 the outer ehunpin'gplnte is moved :iw-uy :from the inner-clamping plate und the driving sprocketallowed to run ,free on` the supporting roller hearings.

in testimony whereof I nfiix mysig'nuture in presence of two witnesses.4

CARL J OHAN GUSTAFSON.

, Witnesses: e.; Y

Jon-.1 T. Ciao-NIN, d. H. OBRIEN. 

